"And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them."
3 Nephi 26:9
This verse is talking about the abridged nature of the scriptures that we're reading, and also seems to apply to a lot of things, not just scripture. It would be awesome to get more scripture (especially here when Christ visited the people): to know more, understand more, all of it. But then I read this verse, and the one after (which gives the consequence of not believing these things), and I realize that sometimes we don’t really believe or accept or act on what we have already. So I guess that is what we need to work on first. Let’s prove that we can handle what we have, and that’s when we’ll get more. :) We do, sometimes. Conference talks and getting to hear the words of the prophets add to what we have... and we can increase even more if we value it and use it. Today, let’s start by exercising a little faith, a little prayer, and making today a day where we remember God through it all... proving to ourselves that we can apply some of our scriptural lessons. :) If we keep at it, I’m certain that we as individuals will learn more, even if we as a people don’t get another book of scripture for a little while.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
2 Nephi 32:9
"But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul."
2 Nephi 32:9
Reading this today my first thought was why... why would we need to pray first, since God already knows what we're doing, and why? And then I prayed about it, which is always a good thing to do when I don't understand. :) I think there is a lot here. One of the reasons is that it helps us to build a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Another is that it helps us to remember what is at the center of our lives... who that central figure is. We often act as though we are that central figure... and sometimes, when life isn't going very well, we are. But when we do this--when we make the effort to put God first--then our lives go better, and we are more centered in general. That focus on God instead of on ourselves gives us a little more room to listen and understand before we react... when we remember that our actions and lives aren't about us and how offended/sad/lonely we are (or whatever we're feeling), but that they are about God and that relationship. We can keep our cool better; we can perform better; we can be happier. That's how we make even our daily jobs and daily routine spiritual. We pray about it. We look for ways to dedicate our lives to God, even while we're living in the world. So, today, let's pray about whatever we're doing. However routine our day is today... this is how God will bless us: by dedicating it to our welfare, and helping us find the spiritual in the midst of the mundane. :)
2 Nephi 32:9
Reading this today my first thought was why... why would we need to pray first, since God already knows what we're doing, and why? And then I prayed about it, which is always a good thing to do when I don't understand. :) I think there is a lot here. One of the reasons is that it helps us to build a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Another is that it helps us to remember what is at the center of our lives... who that central figure is. We often act as though we are that central figure... and sometimes, when life isn't going very well, we are. But when we do this--when we make the effort to put God first--then our lives go better, and we are more centered in general. That focus on God instead of on ourselves gives us a little more room to listen and understand before we react... when we remember that our actions and lives aren't about us and how offended/sad/lonely we are (or whatever we're feeling), but that they are about God and that relationship. We can keep our cool better; we can perform better; we can be happier. That's how we make even our daily jobs and daily routine spiritual. We pray about it. We look for ways to dedicate our lives to God, even while we're living in the world. So, today, let's pray about whatever we're doing. However routine our day is today... this is how God will bless us: by dedicating it to our welfare, and helping us find the spiritual in the midst of the mundane. :)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
1 Peter 3:15
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."
1 Peter 3:15
I like that this verse tells us how to handle pain and suffering... even suffering when you haven't done anything wrong. First, we need to be devoted to God within as well as without... knowing who he is and our relationship to him, and remembering that as we go throughout our days... keeping that in our hearts. And the second part is amazing as well: to always be ready to tell people why you have hope, even in the middle of affliction or suffering. To be able to do that, we have to have a little hope, and we really need to think about it. It comes back to the first step as well... if we know God, and keep that knowledge and devotion in our hearts and minds, then we know, absolutely, that he will deliver us out of our suffering or pain and make things okay. When we're in the midst of it, we can't see anything else, or a way out, sometimes... but God knows the way out, and will provide comfort and confidence, even in the worst circumstances. Today, let's brush up on our reasons for hope... and be ready. :)
1 Peter 3:15
I like that this verse tells us how to handle pain and suffering... even suffering when you haven't done anything wrong. First, we need to be devoted to God within as well as without... knowing who he is and our relationship to him, and remembering that as we go throughout our days... keeping that in our hearts. And the second part is amazing as well: to always be ready to tell people why you have hope, even in the middle of affliction or suffering. To be able to do that, we have to have a little hope, and we really need to think about it. It comes back to the first step as well... if we know God, and keep that knowledge and devotion in our hearts and minds, then we know, absolutely, that he will deliver us out of our suffering or pain and make things okay. When we're in the midst of it, we can't see anything else, or a way out, sometimes... but God knows the way out, and will provide comfort and confidence, even in the worst circumstances. Today, let's brush up on our reasons for hope... and be ready. :)
Monday, April 12, 2010
1 John 2:4-5
"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."
1 John 2:4-5
This is interesting... I wonder if it means that we lose our knowledge of God as we get farther and farther off the path, or that when we sin, we obviously haven't gotten to know God, or we wouldn't do it in the first place. I'm guessing the latter, but I really don't know. It is interesting to think about it the other way around too... we come to know God through living his commandments. There isn't a way to separate the relationship from the gospel. Kind of like people... we come to know other people through being involved in their lives, knowing what they love... those kinds of things. And how can we possibly know God without knowing that everything he does is directed towards us, and trying to get us to come back to him? How can we participate in his life without working towards the same end? We don't know him if we can't keep the spirit with us...
I like the second verse too... the love of God is perfected in us if we keep his word... it's part of knowing him, but also part of knowing and loving others it seems. ...and "hereby know we that we are in him." ... The unity that comes from knowing God and participating in his plan. We become part of something bigger than ourselves, and become more than we are in the process. And not in some science fiction body-snatching way either. :) When we know anyone really well, and have a fabulous friendship, then we almost become part of each other... we know what the other will say, we participate in the other's joy, we have that kind of connection that is unseverable.... and who better to have that kind of a friendship with than God? In fact, I'm sure any other comparison falls short... having God as your close friend is better than anything I can imagine. :) The first step is keeping the commandments... let's go for it.
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."
1 John 2:4-5
This is interesting... I wonder if it means that we lose our knowledge of God as we get farther and farther off the path, or that when we sin, we obviously haven't gotten to know God, or we wouldn't do it in the first place. I'm guessing the latter, but I really don't know. It is interesting to think about it the other way around too... we come to know God through living his commandments. There isn't a way to separate the relationship from the gospel. Kind of like people... we come to know other people through being involved in their lives, knowing what they love... those kinds of things. And how can we possibly know God without knowing that everything he does is directed towards us, and trying to get us to come back to him? How can we participate in his life without working towards the same end? We don't know him if we can't keep the spirit with us...
I like the second verse too... the love of God is perfected in us if we keep his word... it's part of knowing him, but also part of knowing and loving others it seems. ...and "hereby know we that we are in him." ... The unity that comes from knowing God and participating in his plan. We become part of something bigger than ourselves, and become more than we are in the process. And not in some science fiction body-snatching way either. :) When we know anyone really well, and have a fabulous friendship, then we almost become part of each other... we know what the other will say, we participate in the other's joy, we have that kind of connection that is unseverable.... and who better to have that kind of a friendship with than God? In fact, I'm sure any other comparison falls short... having God as your close friend is better than anything I can imagine. :) The first step is keeping the commandments... let's go for it.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Isaiah 27:3
"I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day."
Isaiah 27:3
This scripture is talking about the vine of Israel... basically, all of us as we’re either born into the vine or adopted into it. :) I love the way that he talks about us here, the way that he cares for us and watches over us... night and day, lest anything hurt us. :) You get the same kind of image in the allegory of the olive trees, how he balances the roots and the branches, taking away the wicked branches only when they threaten to overwhelm the good. Life can get unmanageable sometimes when we don't remember that a lot of the things that we worry about are really the Lord's job. Ours is to listen, learn, play nice (helping others rather than hurting them), and grow into ourselves. Obedience is something that we all have to learn as children... we don't always comprehend why we can't play in the street, or why we have to stay away from the cool, shiny knives... but learning to obey our parents anyway prolongs our lives. And so it is with our spiritual lives as well. Listening to God, our Heavenly Father, and doing what he says is the best way that we can protect ourselves from unknown dangers... for he does love us, and care for us... "every moment." Including today. :)
Isaiah 27:3
This scripture is talking about the vine of Israel... basically, all of us as we’re either born into the vine or adopted into it. :) I love the way that he talks about us here, the way that he cares for us and watches over us... night and day, lest anything hurt us. :) You get the same kind of image in the allegory of the olive trees, how he balances the roots and the branches, taking away the wicked branches only when they threaten to overwhelm the good. Life can get unmanageable sometimes when we don't remember that a lot of the things that we worry about are really the Lord's job. Ours is to listen, learn, play nice (helping others rather than hurting them), and grow into ourselves. Obedience is something that we all have to learn as children... we don't always comprehend why we can't play in the street, or why we have to stay away from the cool, shiny knives... but learning to obey our parents anyway prolongs our lives. And so it is with our spiritual lives as well. Listening to God, our Heavenly Father, and doing what he says is the best way that we can protect ourselves from unknown dangers... for he does love us, and care for us... "every moment." Including today. :)